Best Books About Hong Kong to Read Before You Visit (25 Recommendations)

ByDeborah Rogers Hours Categories Hong Kong for First-Timers
Flat white coffee in a green cup and saucer.

Counting down the days to your Hong Kong trip with your MTR map printed and your Octopus card ready to go? Then my personally curated list of the best books about Hong Kong is for you.

Whether you’re curled up on the couch back home or sipping iced milk tea in a Causeway Bay café, there’s something deeply satisfying about reading stories set in the place you’re about to explore (or are exploring).

These books about Hong Kong will transport you through time, across districts, into the minds of spies, expats, artists, and everyday locals.

I’ve included fiction, non-fiction, memoir, crime, and even a touch of political drama — plus audiobook links too, in case you’re more of a listen-while-you-pack kind of gal.

Sneak Peek: My top three Hong Kong book recommendations are: The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee (fiction); Gweilo, Memoir of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth (memoir); and Never Enough by Joe McGinniss (true crime).

But don’t let my top three recs limit you, I’ve included 22 other Hong Kong books that might be more your style.

So grab a pineapple bun (or at least dream of one), and let’s get turning pages (or hitting play) with these 25 brilliant Hong Kong books.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. See the Disclosure Policy.

Why Read Books About Hong Kong Before You Visit?

Hong Kong is one of those cities that makes much more sense once you understand its history.

Colonial Britain, Cantonese culture, global finance, neon street life. It’s a place where many different worlds overlap.

Reading a few books about Hong Kong before your trip can help you understand:

• why the city feels both Chinese and international
• the legacy of the 1997 handover
• the layers of colonial and local history
• the culture behind everyday street life

Some travellers like fiction set in the city. Others prefer memoirs or history books.

Below are some of the best books about Hong Kong to help you understand the city before you arrive.

Types of Hong Kong Books in This Guide

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s how the books in this guide break down:

Fiction set in Hong Kong

Stories that capture the atmosphere of the city through characters and narrative. These are great if you want an immersive feel for Hong Kong life.

Memoirs and personal stories

First-hand accounts of people who lived in Hong Kong across different decades.

History and political books

These help explain how Hong Kong developed into the unique place it is today.

Crime and thriller novels

For something lighter, several international thrillers also use Hong Kong as a dramatic setting.

1. The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee

Cover of The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee, showing three women in moody, contemplative poses against a cityscape of modern high-rises, with a sticker noting its adaptation into the Prime series Expats. A bestselling novel among Hong Kong books, exploring identity, loss, and connection within the privileged expat world.

📚 Fiction
Set among Hong Kong’s elite expat circles, this novel follows three women, each with her own secrets and losses, as their lives intertwine in unexpected ways. Full of emotional twists and the tension of privilege, parenting, and personal identity.

I loved The Expatriates. As a former expat myself, the book rings true about expat life in Hong Kong. I highly recommend it as one of my top Hong Kong Books.

If you saw the mini-series (which wasn’t very good), don’t let that put you off the book because the book is 1000x better.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

2. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

Cover of The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee, showing a woman in a teal cheongsam holding a red parasol as she walks toward the Hong Kong skyline, framed by delicate white floral patterns. A bestselling historical romance and literary gem among Hong Kong books, exploring love, betrayal, and postwar secrets in colonial society.

📚 Historical Fiction / Romance
Set in both 1940s and 1950s Hong Kong, this lush novel weaves together love, betrayal, and the complexities of colonial expat life.

It’s haunting, elegant, and beautifully atmospheric. Perfect for reading in a breezy hotel lounge or ferry ride to Lamma.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

3. Daughter of Hong Kong by Siobhan Daiko

Cover of Daughter of Hong Kong by Siobhan Daiko, featuring a woman in a red cheongsam standing in a lush garden as warplanes soar overhead, framed by vibrant red blossoms and a golden sky. A stirring historical novel and a standout among Hong Kong books, spotlighting courage, love, and resistance during wartime.

📚 Historical Fiction / Drama
Inspired by true stories from the Pacific War, this romantic drama follows a Eurasian woman caught between two worlds and two cultures during the Japanese occupation.

You’ll be swept up in the drama, heartbreak, and impossible choices as love collides with loyalty in wartime Hong Kong. If you enjoy historical settings with a strong female lead, this one’s for you.

👉 Get the ebook

4. Daughter of War by Siobhan Daiko

Cover of Daughter of War by Siobhan Daiko, showing a woman in a plum dress gazing over a lush, mountainous landscape with vintage warplanes flying overhead and delicate orchids framing the sky. A poignant historical romance rooted in wartime Hong Kong, this novel adds emotional depth and resilience to the world of Hong Kong books.

📚 Historical Fiction / Drama
Following the characters introduced in Daughter of Hong Kong, this sequel explores the resilience of women during Hong Kong’s darkest days. Love, loss, and survival take center stage.

The emotional stakes are high, and the writing brings the grit and courage of wartime life to vivid life. Great for fans of stories that mix personal courage with historical drama.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible | Get the ebook

5. The Hungry Ghosts by Anne Berry

Cover of The Hungry Ghosts by Anne Berry, featuring a vibrant, surreal illustration of a woman surrounded by swirling red and orange spirits above a stylized Hong Kong landscape. A haunting and lyrical novel in the realm of Hong Kong books, blending trauma, folklore, and family history across generations.

📚 Historical Fiction
A WWII-era tragedy haunts a girl decades later in colonial Hong Kong. Combining family secrets with ghostly folklore, this novel balances lyrical prose with dark twists.

Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, the Waterstones Book Circle Award and the Desmond Elliott Prize.

I loved The Hungry Ghosts. It’s one my favourite Hong Kong books, and I highly recommend it.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

6. White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway

Cover of White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway, showing two girls bending over on a vast, empty beach in warm sepia tones, evoking memory and distance. A lyrical debut set against the backdrop of 1960s Hong Kong, this novel adds emotional depth and wartime reflection to the landscape of Hong Kong books.

📚 Literary Fiction
Two sisters experience a bittersweet childhood in 1960s Hong Kong as their photographer father documents the Vietnam War. Poetic and slow-burning.

There’s a dreamy, almost hazy quality to the prose, capturing a lost world and fractured family dynamics. If you like evocative, introspective reads, give this one a try.

👉 Get the paperback

7. Diamond Hill by Kit Fan

Cover of Diamond Hill by Kit Fan, featuring a vivid nighttime photograph of neon signs and dense apartment blocks in a narrow Hong Kong alleyway. A striking debut and modern gem in Hong Kong books, capturing the grit, transformation, and fading spirit of a once-notorious district.

📚 Literary Fiction
Set in a crumbling Buddhist nunnery in 1990s Hong Kong, this novel explores identity, memory, and redemption. Beautiful prose with a strong sense of place.

It’s gritty and atmospheric, with characters that stay with you. Think of it as a love letter to a vanishing part of Hong Kong.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

8. Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang

Cover of Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang, featuring a black-and-white photo of a glamorous woman in a satin dress and a man in a tuxedo, evoking 1940s elegance and emotional tension. A celebrated entry among Hong Kong books, this Modern Classic explores love, identity, and survival amid war and social change.

📚 Literary Fiction / Short Stories
Beautiful, melancholic stories of love, war, and identity, often set in wartime Hong Kong or Shanghai. Eileen Chang is one of the greats of Chinese literature. You’ll feel smarter just holding this one.

The language is elegant, the insights razor-sharp. It’s literary, but totally accessible once you fall into her rhythm.

👉 Get the paperback

9. Fragrant Harbour by John Lanchester

Cover of Fragrant Harbour by John Lanchester, featuring a stylized black-and-white drawing of waves crashing against Victoria Harbour with a modern Hong Kong skyline rising above. A critically acclaimed novel in the realm of Hong Kong books, exploring love, ambition, and cultural change over decades.

📚 Historical Fiction
A sweeping tale following four characters whose lives intertwine in Hong Kong across the 20th century. Think ambition, romance, and moral conflict.

This one spans decades and perspectives, from colonial privilege to local struggle, all wrapped in a tightly woven narrative.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

10. Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

Cover of Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah, featuring elegant red Chinese calligraphy on a parchment background, alongside praise from Amy Tan and The Sunday Telegraph. A moving memoir and enduring favorite among Hong Kong books, exploring family, resilience, and identity in Chinese and colonial contexts.

📚 Memoir
A moving memoir of a young girl growing up unloved in a wealthy Chinese family, with scenes in Hong Kong and Shanghai. A tale of resilience and identity.

Raw and heartfelt, this one resonates long after the last page. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something deeply personal.

👉 Get the paperback

11. Gweilo: Memories Of A Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth

Cover of Gweilo: A Memoir of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth, showing a young Western boy giving a piggyback ride to a local Chinese child, set against a soft background of faded Hong Kong street scenes. A beloved classic in Hong Kong books, this memoir offers a vivid, cross-cultural perspective on growing up in postwar colonial Hong Kong.

📚 Memoir
Through the eyes of a young British boy growing up in 1950s Hong Kong, we glimpse the city’s street life, culture, and contradictions. Funny, poignant, and wonderfully detailed.

I loved Gweilo, Memoir of a Hong Kong childhood. As someone who grew up in Hong Kong around the same age, I can totally relate to the author’s account, even though his experience was a few decades earlier than mine.

If you want a feel for what makes Hong Kong so layered and fascinating, beyond the tourist spots, this book paints a vivid picture. And if you’re wondering whether Hong Kong still has that magic, here’s why I believe it’s worth visiting now more than ever.

👉 Get the paperback

12. The Hong Kong Diaries by Chris Patten

Cover of The Hong Kong Diaries by Chris Patten, showing a British colonial flag being lowered from a ship against the modern Hong Kong skyline, symbolizing the 1997 handover. A poignant political memoir and essential reading in Hong Kong books, offering firsthand insight into the final days of British rule.

📚 Memoir / Political History
Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, offers an insider’s account of the political drama leading up to the 1997 handover. Both personal and political, this is a front-row seat to history.

If you want to understand modern Hong Kong, this candid and thoughtful memoir is essential reading.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

13. Diamond Hill by Feng Chi-shun

Cover of Diamond Hill: Memories of Growing Up in a Hong Kong Squatter Village by Feng Chi-shun, featuring a sepia-toned photo collage of three children in vintage clothing standing in front of a hillside squatter village. A heartfelt memoir and standout in Hong Kong books, offering a rare, personal glimpse into postwar poverty and resilience.

📚 Memoir
Part gritty nostalgia, part social history, this memoir captures life in a squatter settlement in post-war Hong Kong. Candid and eye-opening.

Told with dry humour and sharp insight, it’s an unvarnished look at a side of the city rarely seen by tourists.

👉 Get the paperback

14. Never Enough by Joe McGinniss

Cover of Never Enough by Joe McGinniss, featuring a cracked-glass portrait of a woman with a somber expression, set against torn paper and bold red and gray text. A gripping true crime narrative tied to Hong Kong, this title adds real-life drama and psychological depth to the genre of Hong Kong books

📚 True Crime
I’m a sucker for a good true crime book, and Never Enough did not disappoint. This chilling story follows the infamous Nancy Kissel case. A tale of murder, manipulation, and betrayal that unravels across both the U.S. and Hong Kong.

With its dark twists and high-society drama, you’re in for a gripping, unforgettable read. This one’s especially eye-opening if it’s your first time in Hong Kong. It offers a sharp, personal look at the privilege and complexities of expat life in the city.

👉 Get the paperback

15. The Leopard (Harry Hole #8) by Jo Nesbø

Cover of The Leopard by Jo Nesbø, part of the Harry Hole thriller series, showing a lone figure silhouetted against a moody sunset sky with fencing and a city skyline. Though set partly in Hong Kong, this gripping Nordic noir expands the scope of Hong Kong books through international crime and high-stakes investigation.

📚 Crime Thriller
In this globe-trotting murder mystery, detective Harry Hole chases leads through Oslo and Hong Kong. Dark, complex, and brilliantly written.

Nesbø fans will love the Hong Kong interlude. It adds exotic tension and a sense of the city’s seedy underbelly.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

16. The Borrowed by Chan Ho-Kei

Cover of The Borrowed by Chan Ho-Kei, blending a top-down view of a neon-lit Hong Kong street with a motion-blurred tram and pedestrian scene, evoking the city’s energy and layered narratives. A powerful entry in contemporary Hong Kong books, unraveling decades of crime and justice in reverse chronology.

📚 Crime Fiction
If you’re into smart detective stories with a twist of Hong Kong history, this one’s for you. Told in reverse (yes, really!), it spans decades of criminal investigation in the city, from 2013 back to 1967.

It’s clever, multilayered, and gives you both a great mystery and a crash course in Hong Kong’s recent past.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

17. Second Sister by Chan Ho-Kei

Cover of Second Sister by Chan Ho-Kei, featuring a haunting half-face of a woman merged with a photo of a Hong Kong MTR station, symbolizing mystery and urban life. A gripping cyber-thriller and standout in modern Hong Kong books, tackling tech, justice, and secrets in the digital age.

📚 Cybercrime Thriller
A gripping modern-day mystery involving cyberbullying, hacking, and revenge. Set in gritty, real-life Hong Kong locations. Fans of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will love this.

Fast-paced and full of twists, this one keeps you guessing right up until the end.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

18. Hong Kong (Jake Grafton Book 8) by Stephen Coonts

Cover of Hong Kong by Stephen Coonts, Book 8 in the Jake Grafton series, showing a gritty, neon-lit Hong Kong street scene at night with glowing signs and shadowy figures. A high-stakes political thriller and action-packed entry in the world of Hong Kong books, blending espionage with urban tension.

📚 Political Thriller
American intrigue meets Chinese politics in this fast-paced thriller. When a U.S. senator disappears in Hong Kong, covert agents scramble to uncover the truth. Expect espionage, action, and high-stakes diplomacy.

This is your action-packed, airport thriller type of read. Quick, entertaining, and full of global drama.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

19. Beatrix Rose: Hong Kong Stories by Mark Dawson

Cover of White Devil: A Beatrix Rose Novella by Mark Dawson, featuring a silhouette of a woman holding a gun against a bold orange background, with the Chinese characters for “white devil” above the title. A fast-paced action thriller set partly in Hong Kong, adding sharp suspense to the genre of Hong Kong books.

📚 Action Thriller Series
Beatrix Rose is a rogue assassin hiding out in Hong Kong, but trouble always finds her. These gritty novellas are fast, furious, and perfect for fans of action with emotional depth.

Think Jason Bourne, but with a female lead and a strong emotional arc. And yes, lots of Hong Kong alleyways and neon.

👉 Get the Ebook

20. The World of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason

Cover of The World of Suzie Wong by Richard Mason, showing a woman in a pink cheongsam standing in a painted Hong Kong street scene with traditional pavilions and lanterns, evoking 1950s romance and cultural contrast. A classic novel often listed among iconic Hong Kong books for its portrayal of East-West relationships.

📚 Romantic Drama
You can’t have a Hong Kong book list and not mention this iconic novel.

A controversial classic set in 1950s Hong Kong, with all the romanticised tropes and colonial-era vibes. Worth reading for its snapshot of a bygone era, even if some parts feel outdated and not very PC.

👉 Get the paperback

21. Tai-Pan by James Clavell

Cover of Tai-Pan by James Clavell, featuring a sepia-toned seascape with traditional Chinese junks and a Western sailing ship at sunset, symbolizing East-West trade. A sweeping historical epic and classic among Hong Kong books, chronicling the city's founding through ambition, conflict, and empire.

📚 Historical Epic
Epic in every sense, this novel traces the founding of colonial Hong Kong through the eyes of a ruthless trader. Expect pirates, politics, and plenty of drama.

It’s a chunk of a book, but the payoff is real if you love sweeping historical sagas with lots of intrigue.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

22. The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré

Modern Classics cover of The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré, featuring stylized silhouettes of a man in white and a woman in black set against a vibrant red and orange Chinese dragon, evoking espionage and East Asian intrigue. A gripping Cold War-era thriller and a standout in Hong Kong books with geopolitical depth.

📚 Spy Thriller
George Smiley investigates Cold War secrets that lead straight to Hong Kong. Atmospheric and cerebral, this is spy fiction at its most sophisticated.

Expect long shadows, moral gray zones, and a richly rendered city that’s both setting and character.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

23. Fortune’s Bazaar by Vaudine England

Cover of Fortune’s Bazaar: The Making of Hong Kong by Vaudine England, featuring a vintage-style illustration of Victoria Harbour with colonial ships and 19th-century Hong Kong architecture, highlighting the city's global trade roots. A must-read addition to Hong Kong books exploring history, identity, and colonial legacy.

📚 History / Biography
A deep dive into the multicultural forces that built Hong Kong, from Armenian traders to Chinese matriarchs. Refreshingly inclusive and rigorously researched.

If you’re into people-focused history with a global lens, this is an absolute gem.

👉 Get the paperback | Listen on Audible

24. Shop Cats of Hong Kong by Marcel Heijnen

A silver tabby cat lounges atop a burlap sack in front of stacked rice bags, featured on the cover of Shop Cats of Hong Kong by Marcel Heijnen. This visually rich book, published by Thames & Hudson, is a unique addition to Hong Kong books, blending photography, culture, and feline charm.

📚 Photography / Culture
A heartwarming collection of street photography featuring real-life cats lounging around local shops. Whimsical, vivid, and a love letter to both felines and city life.

It’s one of those books that makes you smile every time you pick it up. Great as a gift or a coffee table favourite.

Rather than order it online, I would get it when you’re in the city at one of the Hong Kong bookshops like TasChen.

25. Hong Kong Shifts by Maxime Vanhollebeke

Cover of Hong Kong Shifts: Stories from the Streets of Hong Kong, featuring an older man in work clothes seated in a cluttered workshop, surrounded by industrial tools and machinery. A powerful visual anthology and standout in Hong Kong books, capturing personal stories of the city’s everyday workers through portraits and interviews.

📚 Photography / Nonfiction
A stunning photographic tribute to the city’s workforce, from street sweepers to delivery drivers. Each portrait is paired with a short story, revealing the human heartbeat behind Hong Kong’s fast-paced streets.

It’s beautifully done, both visually and emotionally. Highly recommended for anyone curious about the people who keep Hong Kong moving.

👉 Get the Hardback

You can also buy it at one of the Hong Kong bookshops like TasChen.

Explore the Hong Kong Locations Behind These Books

Many of these books are set in real places across Hong Kong. If you enjoy reading about the city before your trip, you can also visit some of the neighbourhoods that appear in these stories.

Here are a few examples.

Central and Sheung Wan

Several expat novels and political stories take place in Hong Kong’s historic financial district. Today this area is still one of the best places to explore colonial architecture, traditional medicine shops, and hidden temples.

If you want to explore this area properly, read my walking guide to Central.

Victoria Harbour and Tsim Sha Tsui

Books like Gweilo and Fragrant Harbour describe life along the harbourfront during different eras of Hong Kong history.

Walking along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront today still gives you that sense of the city’s maritime past.

If you want to experience the skyline views for yourself, here’s my guide to the best things to do in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Diamond Hill

Both Diamond Hill novels capture a neighbourhood that has changed dramatically over time.

The area was once known for squatter settlements but today is home to one of Hong Kong’s most beautiful temples.

You can visit the peaceful Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden today.

Final Thoughts on the Best Hong Kong Books

Whether you’re into mystery, memoir, or a bit of old-school romance, these Hong Kong reads will give you a deeper feel for the city before you even land.

And once you’re ready to turn the page from planning to packing, check out the best season to visit Hong Kong (spoiler: autumn is magic) and how long to stay to make the most of your adventure.

Download a few audiobooks, load up your Kindle, or just toss a paperback in your day bag. Hong Kong’s streets, trams, and ferry rides make the perfect reading room.

Deborah Rogers is the creator of Hong Kong Made Easy, a travel site focused on helping first-time visitors.

She has over 45 years of experience with Hong Kong: she grew up there and returns frequently as a visitor. This long-term connection gives her a practical understanding of how Hong Kong works and what matters most for visitors.

Her work focuses on the decisions that shape a trip—where to stay, how to get around, and what to prioritise—based on what she has personally tested over many years.

She also helps travellers use Hong Kong as a starting point for a wider Asia trip, with nearby destinations like Shanghai and Japan just a short flight away.

Everything she shares is based on real experience—what she’s done, tested, and would genuinely recommend today.